Rotatable indicia-bearing vanes for signboards



United States Patent 0 The invention relates to multi-vaned, pluralmessage signboards, and more particularly to rotatable vanes withremovable indicia-bearing panels.

The rotatable prism-like vanes utilized in plural message signboardssuch as that described in my co-pending US. patent application, SerialNo. 125,541, now abancloned, filed July 20, 1961 and entitledAdvertising Display Boards," impose many problems on designers. Hollowvanes, conventionally triangular in cross section, have been employed insignboards of this type for many years. T he vanes are synchronouslyturned and halted. When a multiplicity of such prismatic vanes is to beturned, the motive force necessary is considerable. Additionally,registration of the vanes so that the outward facets of all vanes areparallel is hindered by the inertia of the vanes when turned. Theinertia problem is of course increased by added vane weight. I haveinvented a rotatable plural facet vane that is light in wei ht andtherefore requires less turning power, is weather resistant, and hasremovable indicia-bcaring panels. The panels may be detached from thesignboard and the messages thereon changed at the location mostconvenient and then later restored to the signboard.

The invention contemplates a rotatable plural-faceted vane for use inplural message signboards with each vane comprising a rotatable corehave a plurality of core faces or panels that define an elongate prism.A plurality of securing means releasably hold a plurality ofindiciabearing facet panels adjacent a core face. There are as manyfacet panels as there are core faces. The securing means orient thefacet panels so that they abut edge to edge to define a hollow prismabout the elongate core prism that is geometrically similar to the coreprism. conventionally the prisms defined are triangular in transversecross section.

lreferably, the core faces and the facet panels are of high impactplastic material. Many such materials are now available that arerelatively light in weight and highly resistant to sunlight and otherweather factors. Preferably the elongate core prism comprises three corefaces or panels, each of which has one long bifurcated edge and aparallel opposite angular tongue. The tongue of each core face fits intothe bifurcated edge of an adjacent panel and is preferably adheredthereto. A tri angular prismatic core may thus be formed by threeelongate core panels. Each of the exterior core faces has a plurality ofspaced fastening means. The outer facet panels, each of which carries apart of the display mes sage, have longitudinal stiifeners with spacedengagements that coordinate with the position of the fastening means onthe core face exterior. A facet panel may be releasably engaged with thecore prism by sliding the facet panel downwardly until the engagementsregister with the fastening means on the core prism. Such a combinationof elements permits rapid placement and removal of indicia-bearing facetpanels to effect a change in the 3,l99,239 Patented Aug. 10, 1965message displayed by a signboard including a multiplicity of rotatablevanes of the character described. These and other advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following detailed description anddrawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a plural message signboard utilizing theapparatus of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly broken away, of therotatable vanes of the signboard of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan section taken along line 33 of FIG. 2 showing atransverse section of the preferred vane of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core prism face;

PEG. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of a preferred facet panel withstiileners;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly broken away, of anassembled rotatable vane, and

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view of a facet panel.

In FIG. 1 a signboard base 11 supports a static display board 12 and aplural or changing message display unit 13. Display unit 13 comprises amultiplicity of rotatable vanes 15. Each vane extends from top to bottomof display unit 13 and is mounted top and bottom to rotate about itscentral vertical axis. conventionally, the vanes r are triangular intransverse cross section and thus give the appearance of a triangularprism.

In BIG. 2 a plurality of rotatable vanes 15A through 15D are shown inturning position. Each vane, such as the vane 1155, has a journalledaxle 17 that supports and turns the vane. A miter gear 19 at the bottomof the axle is driven by a second miter gear 21 fixed to a drive shaft22-. Each vane is similarly linked to the drive shaft. The drive shaftis turned by a suitable power unit (not shown). As can be seen fromFIGS. 2 and 3, each vane comprises an inner core prism 25 and an outerfacet prism 2s. The facet panels 27, 28, 29 of the outer facet prism arepreferably removably mounted to the core prism.

The core prism 25 comprises three core faces 31, 32, 33, each of whichhas a long bifurcated edge 35. Blades 37, 38 of each bifurcated edgeextend for substantially the length of the elongate panel. The bladesare spaced apart the thickness of an angular tongue 39 on the oppositeedge of each core face. The bifurcated blades and the angular tongue ofeach core face make an obtuse angle with the core face. Thus, when thecore faces are erected and the tongue of each core face is inserted intothe bifurcation of the adjacent face, the core faces form a prism thatis triangular in cross section. Preferably the bifurcation and thetongue are bonded together with a solvent bonding agent. When, as ispreferable, the core faces are made of a high impact plastic, such aslmplex A (a proprietary product of the Rohm & Haas Company), a bondingsolvent such as ethylene dichloride may be used.

Top and bottom spiders, such as the bottom spider ll, may be fixed tothe inner walls of the core faces to provide rotation attachments forthe core prism. As can be seen from FIG. 6, each of the core faces, suchas the face 32, has a plurality of fasteners 43 fixed to its outersurface at horizontally and vertically spaced intervals. Each fastener43 comprises an outwardly protruding base 44 and an upwardly extendinghook 45. The fasteners may be spaced apart two to four feet vertically,depending upon the longitudinal extent of the core prism and thethickness of the material used for the core faces and facet panels.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 7, a facet panel such as the panel 28 hasgreater width than, and similar length to, core face 32. Facet panel 28has bevelled edges 47, 48 that extend the length of the panel. inwardlyfrom each of the bevelled edges a longitudinal stiffener 51, 52 is fixedto the inner side of the facet panel. Because of the bevel the outerside of the facet panel which bears the sign indicia is slightly widerthan the inner side upon which the longitudinal stiffeners are affixed.Preferably,.the'

A plurality of engagements 55, are fixed within each 7 stiffener atspaced intervals vertically. The stiffeners and the engagements thereinare spaced horizontally and vertically to coincide with the like spacingof the fasteners on the core faces. The engagements may be channelsegments of smaller span than the stiffeners so that they seat therein.The channel segments define a boxlike section at intervals along thestiifeners. The hooks of fasteners 43 engage in the space between thechannel and the engagement, as best shown in FIG. 3. V

Preferably the core panels arerof an extruded material such that theirwidth is closely controlled. Little variation exists in the width of acore face from top to bottom. Therefore, if both the fasteners on thecore and the stilfen ers and engagements are jig-positioned duringfabrication, the orientation of the facet panels is easily maintained sothat their bevelled edges meet precisely to define a congruent hollowprism about the core.

For best signboard display effect, the edges of adjacent vanes must passclosely when the vanes of a signboard are rotated to change the message.Therefore, the preciseness with which the vane edges are formed must bemaintained in operation. Temperature changes can affect the width, andtrouble may be anticipated if sunlight, for instance, falls with varyingintensity along the length of a single vane. Warpage in both facet paneland core may result from weathering and rotational stresses. However,the monocoque construction of the core obviates most warpage problems.The stilfeners and fastening means serve to maintain dimensionalstability in the facet panels.

Since the facet panel edges must be kept in close registrolled by thevertical location of the channel segments,

each of whose bottom edge abuts upon a fastener base 44.

In practice, each vane core or inner prism is positioned to rotatewithin the confines of a changing message unit 13, and remainsassociated therewith. The facet panels comprising a rotating vane may bemoved from engagement with a particular inner core and, after themessage thereon is changed, may be replaced upon the same or a differentinner core.

Placement of facet panels upon the inner core prism is achieved byaligning each facet panel vertically with reference to an outer face ofa core prism and elevating the facet panel so that the engagementsthereon are slightly higher than the matching fasteners of a core face.facet panel is then pushed inwardly so that the engagements registeragainst the core face. After it is ascertained that the engagementsalign vertically with the fastener hooks, the facet panel is displaceddownwardly so that the engagements register on the hooks; The remainingtwo facet panels are similarly engaged with the core faces after thecore has been rotated so that each next The I l face becomes adjacentthe outer working space of the display unit.

While the vanes illustrated in the drawing are triangular, it maysometimes be desirable to use vanes having more than threeindicia-bearing facets. Such vanes can be accomplished easily within thescope of the invention by altering the angle of the bifurcations andtongue of each core panel to achieve the proper angular relationshipbetween adjacent core panels. it must be realized that each increase inthe number of message-bearing facets increases the visible gap betweenadjacent vanes. For this reason triangular vanes presently appear to bethe optimum configuration. I

The invention disclosed herein results in a wei ht saving of 40% invanes having three display facets, each approximately one foot bysixteen feet. A comparable saving in power necessary to rotate the vanesand the braking facility necessary to over-con e mi ing inertia may beachieved. The invention affords great flexibility in changing theindicia on vane surfaces, as well .as saving in power and time. It isrealized that variations from the illustrative embodiments shown hereinwill occur to those skilled in the Therefore, I wish the invention to bedefined by the appended claims rather than by the illustrativeembodiments herein shown and described.

, I claim:

1. A rotatable plural-faceted vane for use in a multivaned, pluralmessage signboard, the vane comprising an elongate hollow prismatic corehaving a plurality of planar exterior core faces, each of said corefaces having a bifurcated long edge and an angular tongue edge parallelto the long edge, each of the two edges of a core face being adapted toengage the unlike edge of an adjacent core face, fastening means on eachexterior face of the core face so as to releasably support a facet paneladjacent a core face.

2. A vane in accordance with claim 1 wherein the'facet panels join attheir long edges to define a hollow prism geometrically similar to thehollow prismatic'core.

3. A vane in accordance with claim 1 wherein each engagement on eachfacet panel is contained within a longitudinal stiffener.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein each longitudinalstiffener comprises an elongate channel member openingadja cent anexterior core face, and each engagement comprises a band extendingtransversely from open edge to open edge of the channel, the engagementsbeing spaced apart along each stiffener so as to engage 'with a likenumber of similarly oriented fastening means 'on the adjacent exteriorcore face.

5. A rotatable plural-faceted vane for use in a multivaned, pluralmessage signboard, the vane comprising a plurality of elongate core facepanels, a bifurcated edge on each core face panel extending the lengththereof, an angular tongue along the other elongate edge of each coreface panel adapted to engage the bifurcated edge of an adjacent coreface panel, the angle of the tongue and the bifurcation on each coreface panel being such that their mutual engagement defines a hollowtriangular prism, a spider at the top of each prism so formed, a spiderat the bottom of each prism so formed, each spider being adapted toreceive means whereby the core face panels may be rotated about alongitudinal central axis, a plurality of, fastening means on eachexterior core face panel, each fastening means extending outwardly andupwardly from the exterior face; a plurality of facet panels having alength commensurate with the length of the core face panels,longitudinal stiffeners extending substantially the length of each facetpanel on the interior face thereof, an indicia-receiving outer surfaceon each facet panel, a plurality of engagements located at spacedintervals on each longitudinal stitfener so as to each engage afastening m ans on a core face panel, said fastening means engaging witheach engagement when a facet panei is moved downwardly paraliel to thelongitudinal extent of the core face panels, said engagements andfastening means registcring the facet panels such that the edges thereofabut to form a prism.

6. A rotatabie plural-faceted vane for use in a multivaned, pluralmessage signooard, the vane comprising a plurality of elongate corefaces joined to form a hollow elongate core prism, fastening means onthe exterior of each core face extending outwardly and upwardly from theexterior face; a plurality of facet panels having lengths commensuratewith the length of the core faces, an indiciareceiving outer surface oneach facet panel; longitudinal stiffeners extending substantially thelength of each facet panel on the interior face thereof, and engagementmeans on each longitudinal stilfener adapted to engage the fasteningmeans on a core face; said fastening means engaging the engagement meanswhen a facet panel is moved downwardly parallel to and proximate to thelongitudinal extent of a core face, said engagement and fastening meansregistering the facet panels such that the edges thereof abut to form aprism.

References Cited by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS 884,214 4/08Schneider IQ-76 X 1,029,231 6/12 Ryan 129-16 1,366,548 1/21 Nillison eta1. 40-76 1,461,047 7/23 Ray 4076 1,713,963 5/29 Einkson 40-1252,266,590 16/41 Speck 40-125 2,664,978 1/54 Pox 189-88 2,728,622 12/55Griswold 21l-163 X 3,667,224 11/61 Wean l8941 X EUGENE R. CAPOZIO,Primary Examiner.

20 IEROME SCHNALL, Examiner.

1. A ROTATABLE PLURAL-FACETED VANE FOR USE IN A MULTIVANED, PLURALMESSAGE SIGNBOARD, THE VANE COMPRISING AN ELONGATE HOLLOW PRISMATIC COREHAVINGA PLURALITY O PLANAR EXTERIOR CORE FACES, EACH OF SAID CORE FACESHAVING A BIFURCATED LONG EDGE AND AN ANULAR TONGUE EDGE PARALLEL TO THELONG EDGE, EACH OF THE TWO EDGES OF A CORE FACE BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGETHE UNLIKE EDGE OF AN ADJACENT CORE FACE, FASTENEING MEANS ON EACHEXTERIOR FACE OF THE PRISMATIC CORE; AN ELONGATE FACET PANEL ADAPTED TOBEAR INDICIA FOR EACH CORE FACE, LONGITUDINAL STIFFINERS ON EACH FACETPANEL, AND ENGAGEMENTS ON EACH FACET PANEL ADAPTED FOR SLIP FITRELATIONSHIP WITH THE FASTENING MEANS ON A CORE FACE SO AS TO RELEASABLYSUPPORT A FACET PANEL ADJACCENT A CORE FACE.